 The Bronx Wanderers a Tribute to the Jersey Boys
Beginning in the Bronx as a father-son Dion tribute band, Yo! Vinny and the
Bronx Wanderers exploded on the scene big-time in 2008, with their show-stopping
stage show, amassing a huge loyal following, and celebrated groupies like Chazz
Palminteri, Danny Aiello and Dion DiMucci himself. As their fame increaded so
did their set-list, that now includes tributes to Frankie Valli & the Four
Seasons, The BeeGees, Rascals, KC & the Sunshine Band, Tommy James, Bob Seeger
and the Brooklyn Bridge.
It was Dion DiMucci, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame legend and arbiter of "The Bronx
Blues" who set Vinny Adinolfi on the path to becoming a musician. It was also
with Dion's help that Vinny came to work with producers Terry Cashman & Tommy
West (It was Cashman & West who produced all of Jim Croce's hit records.) While
working with the much-respected hitmakers, Vinny was able to work with Dion on
the albums Return of the Wanderer and Fire In the Night. Vinny continues to work
with Cashman, West and their partner Phil Kurnit to this day, producing records
for Phil Kurnit's Winthrop Records, Metrostar Records and Lifesong Records. In
2003, as a stage actor, Vinny Adinolfi played "Eric DeVene" in the Heather
Brothers New York Off-Broadway production, Cafe a Go Go, and most recently,
playing the part of "Jimmy Whispers" in the Broadway-bound,
A Bronx Tale, and as the lead vocal voice of the group The Dukes, the new heist
movie set to 50's rock and roll, with stars Robert Davi, Chazz Palminteri, and
Peter Bogdanovich, set for release later this year. "It was a cousin of mine who
challenged me to take my kids and another cousin of ours (Dino Rocco) out to
play some dates in Las Vegas." With the addition of Jimmy Fracassi, best known
for his many years with The Earls and touring with Dion, Vinny's two sons, Vinny
'The Kid', Nicky 'Stix' and his cousin Dino Rocco, Vinny formed The Bronx
Wanderers. The dates went over so well, that they became a family act.
Dino Rocco was born in Queens, New York but spent much of his childhood in the
Bronx tagging along with his “crooner” father, Sal Rocco. Sal moved the family
to Long Island where Dino honed his skills as a musician. Dino quickly became a
veteran of the New York club and college circuits. It was with Iron Horse, the
legendary Staten Island group that Dino was approached by Rock 'n'Roll
superstar, Steven Van Zandt, who is the anchor of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street
Band as well as Bruce’s producer. Steven produced Iron Horse and took Dino under
his wing to play with him.
From here Dino moved on to do studio work with Foreigner’s Mick Jones, Philip
Michael Thomas of Miami Vice fame and Pat Thrall of Meatloaf. In 1999 Dino, Yo!
Vinny and their cousin, Debbie Oddo, who at the time was a senior executive for
the Monte Carlo Hotel in Las Vegas, challenged her two cousins to put together
an act promising to book them in the Monte Carlo. So Dino and Yo! Vinny honed
their stagecraft in Las Vegas.
Dino is happy to be back with “My Cousin Vinny” and being an integral part of
“The Bronx Wanderers.”
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